Xiaomi Mi 9 goes official – Price, Specifications & Availability

Xiaomi has finally unveiled the all-new Mi 9, and this is officially the first phone in the world with fastest wireless charging of any phone yet. Even more, this is the first tiple camera smartphone from the company.

The Mi 9 is unquestionably a massive piece of technology. The phone packs a 6.39-inches Super AMOLED panel on its front. The latest from Xiaomi has got 1080p+ resolution with 90.7% screen-to-body ratio on the front. Thanks, to the waterdrop notch up at the front for the thin bezels. That’s not all! The AMOLED on Mi 9 can reach over 600nits in its High Brightness mode.

Additionally, the Mi 9 will feature one-day dynamic wallpapers along with Always-on color display. With that said, the AOD adds some cool patterns like the ones on the Samsung phones. Interestingly, the company claims to save 83% battery on the phone with its Dark Mode in full brightness. The already saving mode with low brightness saves up to 50% more screen-on-time.

There’s a lot about the AMOLED panel, as it is guarded by the Gorilla Glass 6. In comparison, the rear on the phone has got a Gorilla Glass 5. Interestingly, the company claims the phone to have a sapphire glass protection on its rear. Sadly, the phone doesn’t support any class of water resistance rating.

The Xiaomi Mi 9 packs inside an SD855 SOC along with 6/128GB of configuration on its base model. Even more, the phone supports a Game Turbo mode, to enhance the CPU and GPU while gaming. Well, it ensures smoother games, and the gamers will appreciate the technology by all means. Looking into the broad spectrum of the SD855 SoC, it promises a 45% increase in performance over the 845. Well, the 1+3+4 CPU core setup along with the 7mm process makes it a capable SoC. One may also observe a 20% boost in GPU. Rest, the SD855 assists in three times faster AI, Wi-Fi 6 support, and HDR10+ video (4K at 60fps).

The phone has got a transparent back alternative as well. This exclusive variant comes with insane 12/256 GB of internal configurations as an exclusive. The phone will see its official sales in China at first, the rest of the markets will follow. Even more, the Chinese model of Mi 9 will get the Xiao AI instead of the Google Assistant.

The Mi 9 has got support for Face Unlock and an in-display fingerprint reader. Both the options are becoming common for biometrics in 2019. The biometrics supports Google Pay thanks to the NFC connectivity. There’s also a dual-frequency GPS and an IR blaster.

Other significant improvements come in the department of charging. The phone now charges at 27W over USB-C. The company calls the new technology as Charge turbo, but the company includes a slow18W charger instead.

Other changes to the Mi 9 includes the new circular coils for fast wireless charging. Well, it will supersede the Mi 8 with up to 20W charging speeds. A 20W wireless car charger will also be available. The charging standards on Mi 9 are approved by TÜV, and the phone has got not so impressive 3,300mAh of the battery.

The main highlight of the Mi 9 is its triple camera setup. The phone packs a 48MP primary camera with 0.8 µm pixel size and 1/2” image sensor. It is Quad-Bayer (Sony IMX586) that provides an effective output of 12 MP images. Well, the technology is simple and combines 0.8µm pixels into 1.6µm Superpixels.

Meanwhile, the second camera on the Mi 9 is a16 MP ultra wide-angle unit with 117-degree FoV and f/2.2 aperture with autofocus. The sensor allows shooting macros from a 4cm distance. Interestingly, the company retains a telephoto lens for its third cameras. Well, the 12 MP sensor has 1.0 µm pixel size and f/2.2 aperture. Also, the Mi 9 will carry the Laser Autofocus feature that brings along PDAF and CDAF.

The selfie camera on Mi 9 is a 20MP unit with f/2.0 aperture and 0.9µm pixels. The phone features AI Face Lock instead of 3D face unlock in the prior phone. AI on the phone will also assist in reducing the distortion in the ultra-wide camera. Even more, it will intelligently prompt the user to switch between the cameras to capture the perfect moment.

The standard Xiaomi Mi 9 comes in three different colors – Lavender Violet, Ocean Blue, and Piano Black. The base model with 6/128 GB internals set back at CNY2,999 ($455/€395). The 8/128 GB option sets back ar CNY3,299 ($490/€430), while the Transparent option with 12/256 GB gets a tag of CNY3,999 ($595/€525).